The Fishing Line - December 11th Edition

In This Issue

• What Do Fisheries Staff Work on in the Winter?
• Holiday Gift Giving Guide for Ice Anglers
• Did You Know?

What Do Fisheries Staff Work on in the Winter?

So what do DEC Fisheries staff do now that the field season has wound down and the boats and boots have been put away for the winter? Well that's easy-
a lot! Technicians are busy maintaining equipment and replenishing supplies needed for the next field season. That means everything from repairing boats and electrofishing gear, to tackling the never-ending job of building and repairing nets, to ordering replacements for holey waders. They also assist biologists with aging fish scales and finalizing field data.

Biologists stay busy “crunching numbers” to analyze data collected during the previous field season. They then use this information to write reports and fisheries management plans and provide management recommendations that will benefit NY’s fisheries. Biologists also plan the following field season.

For some Fisheries staff, the field season doesn’t end when the snow begins. Conducting ice fishing or tributary creel surveys and posting public fishing rights (PFR) are just some of the winter field activities.

Fisheries staff work year-round to ensure that “Fishing is Great in New York State!"

Fisheries Staff Picks - Ice Fishing Gifts

Hard water season is knocking at our door, so we asked Fisheries staff throughout the state what they recommend for gift giving ideas this holiday season. Other than the essentials like jigging rods, tip ups, and augers, here are some unique and useful ideas they've shared:

"Backpacking stove - I wouldn’t go without my backpacking stove for making coffee, oatmeal, soup, boiling hotdogs, you name it. Also, I highly recommend an oversized pair of mittens that are easy to put on and take off. I would also never go without my portable sonar. Other gift ideas: portable heater, shelter, safety picks, and a good buddy."

"For the angler looking to get a power ice auger, consider using one of the many available augers that attach to a cordless drill. Any 20V 'brushless' drill should work, but a brushless drill/driver will last longer and generally has ample torque to cut lots of holes on one battery. Try to get at least a 3 amp hr. battery. Not only do you get an ice auger, but you also get a cordless drill driver to use 12 months out of the year."

Not sure where to head out this ice fishing season - visit DEC's website to plan your next outing.

Did You Know?

According to the most recent angler survey, anglers spent over 894,000 days ice fishing New York's waters in 2017!